Another controversy, another distraction for Obama

First came the outrage over plans for a mosque near ground zero. Now there’s anger over a Florida church’s plan to burn copies of the Quran.

Caught up in it all is President Barack Obama, who’d rather be talking about something — anything — else.

Two months before the fall elections, when Obama is trying to convince Americans that Democrats are squarely focused on the economy, the last thing he needs is another heated flap about Muslims, churning up lingering doubts about Obama’s religious sympathies and his resolve against terrorism. Slow to weigh in last month on the New York mosque question, Obama’s team moved quickly this week to speak out forcefully against plans by a small Florida church to torch copies of the Muslim holy book on Saturday, the ninth anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks.

Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. and NATO commander in Kabul, warned that the church’s actions could inflame public opinion in a way that endangers U.S. troops and undermines efforts to stabilize the situation in Afghanistan. Defense Secretary Robert Gates echoed Petraeus. Attorney General Eric Holder called it idiotic. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said it was disgraceful. Obama adviser David Axelrod went with un-American, and held out hope the pastor of the church would come to his senses.

“The reverend may have the right to do what he’s doing, but it’s not right,” Axelrod said on morning television.

The administration hoped to rein in the story by speaking out clearly and with one voice.

But it is a measure of the intense emotions attached to matters of religion and politics in the post 9/11 world that such a tiny tail — an independent church with 50 followers — could wag such a big dog.

It’s also a measure of how much Obama’s team wanted to change the subject.

Obama spent Wednesday in Cleveland promoting his economic plans and reaching out to those he acknowledges are “frustrated and angry and anxious about the future.” He made no reference to the Quran plan.

Pollster Andy Kohut, director of the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, said large percentages of Americans believe Muslims are unfairly discriminated against in this country, so the administration probably hasn’t incurred harm from taking on the church. But Obama “didn’t do himself any good by weighing in on the mosque controversy” in New York, Kohut added.

For weeks, as Republicans including Sarah Palin and Newt Gingrich denounced plans for the mosque, the White House sidestepped the issue, insisting it was a local zoning matter. But once the mosque cleared its final regulatory hurdle last month, Obama spoke out clearly in its defense.

“This is America, and our commitment to religious freedom must be unshakable,” he said.

From there, as Republicans fumed and most Democrats stayed silent, Obama’s message got more muddled.

“I will not comment on the wisdom of making a decision to put a mosque there,” he said.

Several Democrats, notably including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, had no such reservations. They said a mosque didn’t belong so close to the site of the toppled World Trade Center towers. Republicans went further, Gingrich accusing Obama of “pandering to radical Islam.”

House Republican leader John Boehner of Ohio on Wednesday tried to lump together the two issues — plans for the Quran-burning and the mosque — saying that “just because you have the right to do something in America does not mean it’s the right thing to do.”

Whatever the arguments on either issue, anything that keeps Obama from being heard on the economy isn’t helpful.

Nor is anything that stirs up questions about Obama’s religious leanings — he’s a Christian who had a Muslim father — and his priorities in fighting terrorism.

Obama has yet to clearly establish his religious identity with the public. A Pew poll released last month found that nearly one in five people incorrectly believe he’s Muslim, up from 11 percent in March 2009. Only a third of people think Obama is Christian, down from nearly half last year.

1 COMMENT

This wing nut and his gormless “followers” are getting WAY too much air play.

Rather than blather on an on about the horror if it, I strongly suggest Mr. Obama and his minions simply instruct the IRS to audit this clown’s so-called tax records with the aim of pulling his tax exempt status.

Clearly, this far right religious zealot’s words and deeds (i.e. “sending a message”) indicate his “church” has now turned into little more than a lobby organization.

And the last time I checked, THAT activity is in direct contravention to his (and his “church’s) federal tax exempt status. The IRS also needs to fine this idiot (and his so-called “church”) for engaging in political lobby activity without registering themselves as such.

It seems to me that the threat of a stiff fine (and/or jail time) on both accounts would shut both him (and his so-called “congregation”) up big time.

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